The Kalkara Heritage Trail Project - Assoċjazzjoni Wirt il-Kalkara

Project Date: 15 January 2021

From the foundation of the Assoċjazzjoni Wirt il-Kalkara, the desire was shown to make a Heritage Trail around the village. This project was listed as a priority in the list of projects constructed by the directional committee during meeting number 5 which occured on Monday 30^th October 2017.

On 7^th January 2020, GalXlokk Foundation issued a call for applications for projects from European funds under Measure 3 – Promotion of Cultural Heritage as part of the LEADER Program of the Rural Development Program (RDP) 2014-2020, which funds cover 80% of the total costs of the final project. The Assoċjazzjoni Wirt il-Kalkara took this opportunity and with the help of MEUSAC applied under this measure to do a Heritage Trail in Kalkara. During the application stage the appropriate permits were collected from the Planning Authority and Kalkara Local Council so that information stainless steel stands could be affixed in the chosen places. Because of the Covid-19 pandemic, the projects’ results took longer then expected to be released but on the 21^st of May 2020 these were announced and the Kalkara Heritage Trail was approved. The preliminary works started immediately.

This Heritage Trail project has been divided into four parts:

A hand drawn digital touristic map of Kalkara on which cultural and historical icons are marked on along with other places of interests. This map was also printed on an appropriate paper for eventual distribution. For the design of the map, the young artist Alfie Gatt was chosen while the printing company BestPrint Co. Ltd. was chosen for the printing of the map.
An amount of A5 plastic stands were bought from Golden Gate Co. Ltd so that copies of the printed maps were placed in them, these stands were to be distributed free of charge in all outlets, shops and entities in Kalkara along with Information Tourist Offices around Malta and Gozo.
15 Stainless steel stands with engraved bilingual historic information in both Maltese and English and a QR code that directs the user to additional online information and photos were manufactured. These were to be affixed on the outside next to important sites in Kalkara. The works were carried out by the company MCS Fabrications while the affixing of the stands was done with the help of the Kalkara Local Council.
A website has been launched named VisitKalkara.com. Apart from the accessibility to download the map in pdf format, the user can access information regards the history of Kalkara and other useful information that can help the user to interact and integrate within the community and local businesses. The works on the website were done free of charge by the Assoċjazzjoni Wirt il-Kalkara member Etienne Camilleri while Duncan Brincat provided the historic information which is found on the same website.

In the meantime, during November 2020, the Association decided to apply also for the financing scheme of Co-Financing for Voluntary Organisations under the Parliamentary Secretariat for Sport, Recreation and Voluntary Organizations to be able to cover the remaining 20% of the total costs. Therefore, on the 9^th of December 2020 the Association during a ceremony in the Mediterranean Conference Centre, were given the first part of these funds.

Works on the Heritage Trail was finalised by the end of December 2020, therefore on the 15^th of January 2021 a Press Conference was organised by the Assoċjazzjoni Wirt il-Kalkara for the inauguration of the Heritage Trail in the square in front of the Church of Saint Barbara of the Capuchin Friars in Kalkara. After speeches made by the invited speakers, the tourist map was handed to the people present and the unveiling of the stand showing information about this same Church took place. For this ceremony, the Parliamentary Secretary for European Funds, the Hon. Dr. Stefan Zrinzo Azzopardi, Parliamentary Secretary for Sport, Recreation and Voluntary Organizations, the Hon. Dr. Clifton Grima, Chairman of the Cottonera Foundation, the Hon. Glenn Bedingfield, the Mayor of Kalkara Mr. Wayne Aquilina, the Parish Priest of Kalkara Fr Brian Gialanzè, the Guardian of the Capuchin Friars of Kalkara Br. Miguel Zammit and members of the GalXlokk Foundation, among others were invited to attend.